“Few books in th[e] genre treat both their subject and their readers with as much respect as …Alemagna’s do. These aren’t didactic works. They are art, with soul-stirring depth and resonance…. Alemagna is one of the greats, up there with Tomi Ungerer, Maurice Sendak and Leo Lionni…”—The New York Times Book Review
★ “Exceptional creator Alemagna again brings glorious mixed-media art to enliven this marvelously imagined emotional journey: washy color fields, expressive daubs, and exuberant marks filling textured patterns evoke a delightfully detailed subversive underworld any kid would happily visit, where unpleasantness reigns with cheerful acceptance. A truly inventive, empathetic tale acknowledging that all big feelings—even the murky ones—have their place.”—Booklist, starred review
★ “…in award-winning author-illustrator Beatrice Alemagna’s Her Muddy Majesty of Muck, things get even worse when, in a fit of pique, Yuki hurls the house keys down a manhole…When the siblings reunite, they treat each other with a new tenderness in a lovely conclusion to this affecting story. It’s an inventive, reassuring modern-day fairy tale replete with evocative art, clever humor and poetic language that fans of Alice in Wonderland, Where the Wild Things Are, and Shibu’s Tail will especially appreciate.”—BookPage, starred review
★ “In the best tradition of enlightening literary journeys, the duo pass through Wicked Woods, Lake Youbegone, and the Grumporium. Each setting is wondrous, the earthy palette incorporating shimmering blues and textured mixed-media patterns. Comic relief comes in various forms, among them the smelly, mean Boogers that trail after them. As she travels with Her Royal Muddiness, Yuki learns some profound truths about family and emotion: ‘When people get angry, they take it out on the things they love.’ Tenderness undergirds Yuki and Shen’s ensuing reunion. Alemagna’s narrative employs lovely alliteration, striking figurative language, subtle exchanges between characters, and delightful images to probe the siblings’ complex emotions while allowing readers to discern meaning for themselves… An imaginative, deeply satisfying odyssey.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“(A) fantastical journey… (and) deeply empathic picture book…. (with) surreal mixed-media illustrations… Alemagna (Pepper and Me) uses fantasy not to escape negative feelings but to make them tangible—and offer hope that tangled wires can finally be smoothed.”—Publishers Weekly
Praise for Beatrice Alemagna’s Pepper and Me:
A New York Times Best Children’s Book of 2024
A Bookshop.org Best Picture Books of 2024
A 2024 Kids’ Indie Next List pick
A Kirkus Best Picture Book of the Year
A Kirkus Best Picture-Book Conversation Starter of 2024
A Favorite Children’s Book of 2024—Growing Book By Book
2025 Kansas NEA Reading Circle List
“How could you not immediately adore and trust this voice?….A reluctant love story…whimsy…but also truth, in the way children process the yucky yet intriguing surprises served up by their bodies.” —New York Times Book Review
“Alemagna deftly captures feelings of loss over something inconsequential to adults but of outsized importance to a child….Uniquely moving.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A relatable, very unique story of acceptance, unexpected friendship, and letting go with stunning, eye-catching artwork.” —Imagination Soup (Best Picture Books of 2024 — so far)
“Imaginative…the kind of picture book that seems straight out of a kids’ imagination.”—Book Riot
“It’s easy for readers to see their own concerns reflected in the narrator’s—and to breathe a sigh of relief when the ordeal is over—in this slice-of-life portrait of life’s small comings and goings.”—Publishers Weekly
“From the mind of internationally acclaimed author/illustrator Beatrice Alemagna comes the next essential duo in children’s literature: a child and their scab….unforgettable.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Intimate and indelible….[an] exploration of pain, healing, change, wonder and time.” —Horn Book
“Pepper and Me deftly taps into the wondrous and curious mind of a child–a scrape-turned-surly-scab-come-to-life!–alongside the surprising, inventive, and perfectly askew drawings I’ve come to expect in a new Beatrice Alemagna book. I am a huge fan–of Pepper and Ms. Alemagna.” —Matthew Cordell, Caldecott Medalist for Wolf in the Snow
“This beautifully illustrated story made me want to befriend all the bruises, scars and scabs that my inner child carries with her. I feel like hugging this book!” —Elise Gravel, creator of the Disgusting Critters and Olga series
“The story of a girl and her relationship with her scab. The book was magically odd and the kids had so much to say about. I LOVED IT! “ —Colby Sharp, educator
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